Window envelope for mailing bank statements and the like



June 9, 1964 E. B. BERKOWITZ 3,136,476

WINDOW ENVELOPE FOR MAILING BANK STATEMENTS AND THE LIKE Filed May 9,1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BA IZEN: NATW EANSA: cnv

STATEMENT J nu D05 2 MAve. 26 KANSAS QTY T OHDIR :7 27111: AN 1 aINVENTOR.

[lye/Ia 5. fi r/rom'fz BY Maw ATTORNEY.

June 9, 1964 E. B. BERKOWITZ 3,136,476

WINDOW ENVELOPE FOR MAILING BANK STATEMENTS AND THE LIKE Filed May 9,1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 41 r iii 4 I 3 I I 86 a5 %E%/// 2 a Z,

V V INVENTOR. Eugene E Ber/romfz BY/d ATTORNEY.

United States Patent ()1 Patented June 9, 1964 ice 3,136,476 WINDOWENVELOPE FQR MAHWG BANK STATEMENTS AND THE LIKE Eugene B. Berkowitz,Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Tension Envelope Corporation, acorporation of Delaware Filed May 9, 1962, Ser. No. 193,547 1 Claim.(Cl. 229-41) This invention relates to window envelopes of a type usedby banks in mailing statements, together with canceled checks, to theirdepositors.

It is the practice for banks to wrap the statement of a checking accountabout the canceled checks and place them in a window envelope largeenough to accommodate the checks therein. This requires some form ofspecial envelope to keep the address on the statement in registry withthe window of the envelope, because modern bank statements, being moreor less standard in size to accommodate them to automatic bookkeepingand accounting machines, are considerably narrower in width than thelength of the checks that are enclosed therewith.

Various means have been incorporated into an envelope construction toretain the statement in registry with a window, but they are toocomplicated and expensive to manufacture, or they are difficult tomanipulate and assure positive contact when sealing the envelope, andmany of them cannot be opened Without damaging the enclosures,particularly when the retention means is sealed thereto. Anotherdifficulty with this type of envelope is that the upper edge of the backflap terminates considerably short of the upper edge of the front panel,so that the envelope is not as secure where security is a factor.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to providea window envelope wherein the retention means is easily sealedsimultaneously responsive to the same sealing pressure applied to sealthe closure flap. It is a further object to provide the envelope with aback or bottom flap that is of substantially the size of the frontpanel, whereby the side seams may extend the full height of the envelopeand substantially more sealing area may be provided between the closureflap and the back flap.

In carrying out the invention, the stop seal is effected by providingthe back flap with an opening located within the sealing area of theadhesive which seals the closure flap, so that a portion of the adhesiveseals through the opening to a block of adhesive on the inner face ofthe front panel.

I have found that the envelope is not only more secure, but it is easierto break the stop seal because the marginal edge of the back flapcompletely surrounds the stop seal which, together with the closureflap, provides a double thickness of paper to be grasped in peeling thestop seal apart. The location of the opening in the back flap is in thearea of the adhesive thereon and is in registry with adhesive on theinner face of the front panel to assure seal of both adhesives with theadhesive of the closure flap when the closure flap is pressed intocontact with the adhesive on the back flap. Thus the stop seal is madesimultaneously and does not interfere with adjustment of the closureflap.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention as hereinafterpointed out, improved structure has been provided, the preferred formsof which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front face side of an envelopeembodying the features of the present invention, and showing insertionof a statement and canceled check assembly, a portion of the front panelbeing broken away to show the opening in the back flap or back panel ofthe envelope through which the stop seal is effected.

PK 2 is a perspective view of the back face side of the envelope showingthe canceled checks and statement assembly in place within the pocket ofthe envelope and showing the envelope ready for sealing of the closureflap, parts of the envelope being broken away to better illustrate theposition of the statement and checks with respect to the opening throughwhich the stop seal is effected.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the front face of the sealed envelope,with a part of the front panel of the envelope broken away to betterillustrate the stop seal through the opening in the back flap.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section through the envelope on the line 44 ofFIG. 3, showing the stop seal transversely thereof.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged section through the envelope on the line 5-5 ofFIG. 4, showing the stop seal in the lengthwise direction thereof.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the envelope, opened up to betterillustrate the blank from which the envelope is constructed.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a window envelope constructed in accordance with thepresent invention, for mailing a bank depositors statement of account 2,together with the can celed checks 3 set out in the statement, so thatthe depositor may verify his records.

The envelope 1 is formed from a single blank, much as in the manufactureof a conventional side seam envelope, to provide a front panel 4 havinga width conforming to the length of the checks 3 and a depth of amplesize to conform with the height of the folded statement 2, as later tobe described. The envelope also includes side flaps 5 and 6 and a backor bottom flap 7. The side flaps 5 and 6 are joined with the sides ofthe front panel by folds 8 and 9 so that they overlie the inner face ofthe front panel, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 6.' The back or bottomflap '7 is connected with the lower portion of the front panel on atransverse fold 10, so that the marginal portions 11 and 12 overlap theside flaps 5 and 6.

In accordance with the present invention, the back or bottom flap has anupper edge 13 substantially corresponding with the upper edges 14 and 15of the side flaps, so that when the back and side flaps are sealedtogether by the adhesive stripes 16 and 17 (FIG. 6), the side and backflaps combine to form a back panel 18 (FIG. 2) which is substantiallythe size of the front panel. The front and back panels 4 and 18 are ofgenerally rectangular shape and provide a pocket 19 therebetween, havingthe sides and bottom closed by the folds 8, 9 and 10. The pocket 19 hasan insert opening between the edge 13 and a fold line 20 of a closureflap 21 extending across the width of the envelope. I

In order to conform with the requirements of most banks that theenvelope be securely sealed, the closure flap 21 is of substantial depthbetween the fold line 20 cassava and transverse edge 22, and the innerface 23 is provided with a relatively wide band of dry adhesive 24 ofthe pressure sealing type extending substantially the full lengththereof, to make a substantial depth of seal with the back panel 18.

The front panel 4 has a window opening 25 therein that is located nearone of the side folds, for example, the fold 9, and at a height toexpose the dcpositors name and address 26 that is always provided on theheading of the statement, so that this address 26 may be used for themailing address of the envelope.

Since the statement 2 is of considerably less width than the Width ofthe pocket 19, means must be provided in cooperation with the side fold9 to retain the statement 2 from shifting movement in the envelope, soas to retain the address 26 within the limits of the window opening 25.

This is'easily solved in a vertical direction'by folding the statement 2so that the upper and lower folds 27 and 28 conform to the depth of thepocket 19 in such a manner that the address 26 is registered verticallywithin the vertical height of the window opening, as shown in FIG. 6.

In order to provide an inner stop means for engaging the inner side edgeof the statement, the back flap 7 is provided below the upper edge 13with an elongated opening 29 located between the side fold 8 and theinner side edge 30 of the statement and at a point above the projectingends of the checks 3' (see FIG. 2), preferably so that the inner end 31of the opening is substantially at the inner side edgeof the statement.

In carrying out the invention, the upper marginal portion of the backflap that underlies the closure flap is pro vided with a band ofpressure sealing adhesive 33 corresponding to the band of adhesive 24 ofthe closure flap, except for aportion occupied by the opening 29. It isthus apparent that the opening 29 is within the area of the pressuresealing adhesive 33, as clearly shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

Also, an elongated block or stripe of pressure sealing adhesive 34 isapplied to the inner face of the front panel in registry with theopening 29. The pressure sealing adhesives may be applied after theenvelope is folded and the side seams completed, in which case the blockof adhesive 34 will be applied through the opening 29, making sure thatit is separated from the adhesive 33 by the ungummed margins 35 at theends and bottom of the opening 29, as shown in FIG. 2.

When the closure flap 21 is folded over the insert opening and theadhesive thereon is sealed to the adhesive 33 on the back flap 7, theadhesive that extends across the elongated opening 29 may be pressedinto sealing contact with the inner surface of the front panel 4 to forma seal 32 therewith, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The seal thus provides astop that retains the statement locked against the side fold 9, as wellas a stop above vthe checks 3.

It is obvious that the opening 29 and related block of pressure sealingadhesive 34 can be positioned anywhere along the width of the back flap,depending upon the width of the bank statement or any other enclosurethat is of less width than the envelope. However, the elongated opening29 is located substantially between the upper and lower limits of theband of pressure sealing adhesive 33, so that the elongated block ofpressure sealing adhesive 34 is exposed through the elongated opening 29between the upper and lower limits of the band of adhesive 33, andpreferably with the upper edge thereof in alignment with the upper limitof the band, as is clearly shown in FIG. 2. It is obvious that the upand down Width of the band of adhesive 24 is substantially the same asthe space between the upper and lower limits of the band of adhesive 33,so that in scaling the closure flap the pressure sealing adhesive of theband 24 is sealed simultaneously to the block of pressure Sealingadhesive 34 and to the band 33 of pressure sealing adhesive, by

pressure applied to the closure flap over the area between the upper andlower limits of the band of pressure sealing adhesive 33.

If desired, the window opening 25 may be covered on the inner side ofthe front panel 4 by a transparent patch 35 (FIG. 6).

In using the envelope, the statement 2 is folded about the canceledchecks 3 in the manner shown in FIG. 1. The assembly is placed so thatthe address 26 faces the inner face of the front panel 4, with the fold28 of the statement positioned within the insert opening of theenvelope. In this position the statement is guided between the innerface of the front panel 4 and the back panel 18, with a side of thestatement sliding within the side fold 9. When the assembly is in place,with the lower fold 28 of the statement engaging the bottom fold lib,the upper fold 27 is slightly below the fold 2% of the closure flap 21.The projecting ends of the canceled checks are below the elongatedopening 29. The closure flap is folded onthe fold 20 to close the insertopening and the closure fiap is brought into contact with the pressuresealing adhesive 33 on the back flap, to seal the closure flap theretoby pressure on the area of the adhesive 33, which also presses theportion of the closure flap that covers the opening 29 through theopening 29 into sealing contact with the block of adhesive 34, to sealthat portion of the closure flap "to the front panel. A stop seal isformed that engages the inner edge of the statement to hold the oppositeedge in contact with the inner face of the side fold 9. Thus thestatement is held thereby, with the address 26 thereon in registry withthe window opening 25 while the envelope is being transmitted throughthe mails. It is apparent that the pressure sealing adhesive on theclosure flap is sealed with both the adhesive 34- and the adhesive 33with the same application of pressure, to assure that the stop seal ismade.

In opening the envelope, the closure flap may be slit along the fold 20by means of a paperknife or the like, with the point of the knifepressing above the stop seal. The upper edge of the severed closure flapand the upper edge of the back flap form two thicknesses of materialthat may be gripped between the thumb and finger of one hand, while thesevered edge of the front panel is gripped by the fingers of the otherhand to peel the adhesive on the closure flap and the block of adhesive34 on the front panel apart without tearing the pocket of the envelope.The pocket of the envelope, being intact, can now be used as adepository for the checks wherein they may be filed away for futurereference.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An envelope containing an addressed enclosure of a smaller width thanthe Width of the envelope and a second enclosure of less depth than theenvelope, said envelope comprising overlapping generally rectangularfront and back panels interconnected along bottom and side edges of thepanels to provide a pocket having an insert opening between. upper edgesof the panels with the upper edge of the back panel substantiallycoextensive with the front panel,

one of the panels having a window for exposing the address when theenclosures are placed within the pocket by way of the insert opening,

a closure flap coextensive with the upper edge of one of the panels andfoldable over the upper edge of the other panel to overlie the uppermarginal portion of the said other panel,

a band of pressure sealing adhesive extending along and substantiallycovering said marginal portion of the said other panel,

the said other panel having an opening at one side of the enclosurewhich is of less width and located a block of pressure sealing adhesiveon the inner face of the panel having the closure flap and located inregistry with the opening in the said other panel and also lying betweensaid upper and lower limits of said band of pressure sealing adhesive,and

a continuous band of pressure sealing adhesive on the closure flapcoextensive with the first named band of pressure sealing adhesive andhaving a depth substantially coresponding to that between the upper and6 sure is applied along the closure flap over the area between saidupper and lower limits of the said bands of pressure sealing adhesivefor sealing the envelope and for retaining the enclosures substantiallyimmovable within said envelope and to maintain said address within saidwindow.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS lowerlimits of the first named band for simultaneous 10 sealing contact withthe block of pressure sealing adg fi hesive through said opening andwith the said first W t named band of pressure sealing adhesive whenpres- 2944728 Whitman July 1960

